廣弘明集 17.109

17.109

While the relics were in the city of Shan Prefecture, during the second watch on the night of the twenty-third day of the third month, Datong Temple, Shanfa Temple, and Chanye Temple all saw bright light. Only the light seen at Shanfa Temple contained two flowering trees, distinct in form and colour, disappearing only after a long time. Their colour was red at first, soon turned white, and later dispersed like quicksilver, illuminating everything throughout the rooms. When the relics were at Daxingguo Temple, during the second watch on the night of the second day of the fourth month, Lingsheng Temple saw bright light, thoroughly revealing the fruit trees in the courtyard and the grasses and trees on the northern slope; wherever the light shone, their shapes could be seen. A bird was unearthed beneath the pagoda foundation: as the relics were arriving at Daxingguo Temple, at the mao hour on the twenty-eighth day of the third month, Sima Zhang Bei and Grand Commander Hou Jin were inspecting the ramming of the foundation and had dug five feet deep. Du Huayun, a resident of Yushan township in Wenxiang county, struck with his hoe, and suddenly a bird emerged, greenish-yellow and as large as a quail. It walked tamely within the pagoda, staying quietly at ease, showing no fear when handled; before it could be presented to the authorities, the bird died. Now, while undertaking meritorious works, an extraordinary bird was obtained within the relic pagoda; since its place of emergence was peculiar, it was deemed an auspicious omen. A separate painting of the bird's form is now respectfully attached and reported to the throne. Five-coloured clouds were seen twice: at the shen hour on the fifteenth day of the third month, when the relics arrived at the ravine three li south of the city of Shan Prefecture, five-coloured clouds rose thickly from the southeast, quickly forming a single canopy, which then turned into a purple silk colour; only when the relics entered the city did they scatter and disappear. Monastics and laypeople all saw them at the time. At the wei hour on the twenty-eighth day, at Daxingguo Temple, five-coloured clouds again came from two places, northwest and southeast, joining together above the relic pagoda into a single section. At that time, Gentleman of the Forest of Literature Wei Fan, Grand Commander Yang Min, and officials and civilians all gazed upon it together; the clouds dispersed shortly thereafter. Sound was emitted twice: while the relics were in the prefecture, on the night of the twenty-third day of the third month, a sound came forth from the precious seat like the striking of an evening quiet-bell among mortals, ceasing only after three strikes. Later at Daxingguo Temple, at the you hour on the fifth day of the fourth month, another sound came forth louder than the previous one, heard by both monastics and laypeople. On the four sides, inside and outside the stone reliquary, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, a divine nun, śāla trees, and bright light were seen: at the si hour on the seventh day of the fourth month, just as an envoy was about to be dispatched to send the memorial reporting the four kinds of auspicious omens such as the emission of light, before departure, Sima Zhang Bei, together with Xiaoxian Magistrate Zheng Qianyi, Wenxiang Assistant Magistrate Zhao Huaitan, Grand Commander Hou Jin, and the acting overseer of the populace Hou Qian, went to inspect the stone reliquary within the relic pagoda foundation. Together they saw patterns rise in confusion on the eastern stone exterior of the reliquary. Zhang Bei and the others found it strange, so they turned to the north side, where Qianyi wiped it with the sleeve of his robe. Following his hand, two śāla trees were immediately seen facing east and west, their branches and leaves complete and of a deep cyan colour. In a short while monastics and laypeople rushed to assemble. Then on the outside of the western face, washing it with water, two trees were seen whose leaves had five colours. Next, outside the southern face, there were two more trees with rather straight branches, whose leaves were yellowish-white. Next, outside the eastern face, there were two more trees, cyan in colour with long leaves. Beneath the trees on all four sides were water patterns. Between these two trees, Envoy and Gentleman of the Forest of Literature Wei Fan first saw a bird lying on its back. When Sima Zhang Bei looked next, the bird was already standing. In front of the bird were three stems of golden flowers. The bird's size and plumage colour were no different from the one previously unearthed. After a moment the bird walked towards the southwest, stopping beneath the Buddha inside the reliquary. In the southwest, near the corner, there was another bodhisattva seated upon a flower terrace facing east; an upright nun stood facing the bodhisattva with palms joined, two inches apart. Inside the western face were two more bodhisattvas standing side by side, one golden in colour facing south, one silver in colour facing north, about three inches apart. On the western lip was a reclining Buddha lying on his side with his head to the north and facing west. These three bodhisattvas within the stone reliquary all emitted reddish-purple light about one foot high. From the si to the wei hour their forms did not shift; after being sketched, their colours gradually faded away. Monastics and laypeople who viewed them were numerous. This reliquary was originally of cyan stone with a dark base; when the omens appeared, it turned bright and white, clear and transparent inside and out. On all four surrounding sides people were seated, and all shone upon each other without any obstruction. On the four sides inside and outside the reliquary, a total of one Buddha, three bodhisattvas, one nun, one bird, three flower stems, and eight trees were seen. A separate drawing of these forms is now respectfully attached and reported to the throne.